Awake My Soul
by ihobbitses
Summary: AH Human. Mystic Falls Psychiatric Hospital has a new patient; after a brutal murder, Niklaus Mikaelson finds himself in need of rehabilitation, and what better than to find help in the bright and bubbly Caroline Forbes. Rated M for mature themes.


**Hey guys, so yeah... I know... another story. To answer many questions, no, I am NOT abandoning TCG. I will most likely finish that before I start posting regularly on this, but I wanted to at least get this first installment out there for you guys. **

**This story will not be as cute and cuddly as TCG. It's actually going to be a bit of a head twister. I have the whole story thought out, and most of it planned. There will be some cute and fluffy scenes, but it's more of a twisted drama than anything.  
**

**Note: I am not a Psych student, nor a Doctor of any kind. I have zero training in any kind of field that is described in this story. The only medical knowledge I have obtained comes from Grey's Anatomy, for which I give a shout out in this chapter. I will do my best to make this realistic, but remember that I am mostly making it up as I go with the Doctor/Hospital stuff.**

**Let me know what you think, and I may just update more often.**

* * *

DAY 1

Mystic Falls Psychiatric Hospital was in no way one of the biggest in the country, and stood out in no exceptional way. Almost all of the Doctors there knew each other, and some of them even grew up in town.

Elijah Mikaelson did not grow up in Mystic Falls however. He attended Harvard University and spent his residency at Seattle Mercy West and had even planned to become their new Chief of Psychology. And then Katherine Pierce happened.

Katherine had also been a resident at Seattle Mercy West to become a surgeon. Her need to be the best and her rather sultry way of getting to the top somehow attracted Elijah, his posh exterior and charming ways winning her over quickly. But with the death of her parents, Katherine knew her sister and little brother would need her back home.

So they picked up their lives and left Seattle to return to the one-pony town of Mystic Falls. Neither had problems getting a job at the very small mental institute, and within his first year, Elijah became their new Chief of Psychiatry.

This only pushed Katherine harder, her need for constant competition gaining her the Chief of Surgery spot next to her new husband.

The two had always enjoyed their own solitude. Elijah, being the eldest among six siblings, and having had been the babysitter many times over, had no real need to become a father. It took literally zero convincing on Katherine's part, since she had no desire to ruin her perfect figure in any way.

Of course, that didn't stop Elijah's youngest brother from joining the hospitals small rank of Doctors. Apparently it was his new mission in life to cause mischief that Elijah would have to clean up.

Then came Elijah's and Katherine's mutual friends; Caroline and Bonnie.

Bonnie was currently a resident under Elijah, and his top student. Caroline of course… Well, she was Caroline. Beautiful, forgiving and compassionate. Of course she was also a bit neurotic and a complete control freak, but no one seemed to hold it against her.

Most of the time, Elijah could truly say his life was perfect, or as perfect as he could ever wish it to be. The sun seemed to always shine down on him and his perfectly tailored suit under his white lab coat, and he could honestly say he couldn't ask for more. Nothing happened in little Mystic Falls.

Then there were the days that hell seemed to rise up from the depths of despair and leaving only the crumbling wreckage for Elijah to try and piece back together. Usually this only came once a month, when Katherine was in her… less than lovely time.

This day, January 1st of 2013, was worse.

Kol knew there was something wrong as soon as he opened the door to his Eldest brother's office.

With one glance around the room, he noticed that the diploma hanging on the wall opposite was slightly off center; there was a coffee cup on the table next to the door and, dare he even think it, it might be cold.

He walked over, sitting in one of the chairs in front of Elijah's desk, his feet quickly occupying the one next to him. His brother had his head in his hands, elbows holding him up on his desk. At first, Kol didn't say anything.

Then his wandering eyes landed on something on the floor. His eyes grew wide at the small circle, evidence of a hole punched and not picked up immediately. Yes, something was definitely wrong.

"Is Katherine on her period again?"

Elijahs' hands dropped onto the large oak desk, his eyes immediately glaring daggers at him.

"What?" Kol said, his expression and voice showing his innocence that otherwise didn't exist. "I'm serious. Your office looks like a-"

He paused, his eyes widening again as he stared at his brother.

"Is your tie loose?!"

Elijah sighed, sliding a hand down his face before leaning back in his leather chair. It took him a few moments of staring at the ceiling, most likely composing himself before he could look back at his brother.

"I'm surprised you're not being more serious."

Kol instantly knew what he was talking about. He rolled his eyes.

"I am serious about it. It's exciting. I'm excited, Elijah. For the first time in what? A year? We could have a solution."

"It's dangerous," Elijah answered quickly.

"Maybe."

Elijah sighed again, his eyes darting to the picture frame on his desk that held a photo of Katherine and himself on their wedding day.

"What if it doesn't work? Katherine will be devastated."

For the first time, Kol's face showed no hint of mockery or joking. "What other options do we have, Elijah? We've tried everything else… This might be extreme, but what's the alternative?"

Elijah frowned, defeated.

They had had this discussion so many times he had lost count. Elijah was always the careful one, never one to take risks.

That's why it was better for him to be around, he figured. At least he could be the yang to Elijah's yin.

A lull passed through the conversation, letting a brutal silence fall on them. Neither wanted to break it though.

Finally, Kol's aversion to silence won over his distaste of the topic at hand quickly.

"We all agreed, remember? If things didn't get better in a year, we would try it."

Elijah's eyes caught his and he tried to give the most reassuring smile he could muster.

"When is it supposed to start?"

Kol's face fell and he looked away quickly. He wasn't expecting that. He figured Elijah would already know…

"Um… It already started?"

"WHAT?!" Elijah roared. His leather chair nearly fell over as he rushed out of the room at top speed, leaving Kol still sitting in the same position.

"Well," he said to himself, "that went well."

Caroline shut the door to the residents locker room, folder in hand. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in concentration as she read the patient file over again.

Her eyes scanned the words 'Hallucinations' and 'Violent outbursts' quickly before her they stopped on the picture in the corner once more.

Niklaus Mikaelson didn't look like someone who would kill their own father. In fact, he was rather handsome, even with his rough exterior and the terrible lighting of the mug shot.

She paused on it for only a moment longer though, before she went back to the information on the sheet.

'Found not-guilty by court of law; self-defense; trouble differentiating what is real and what are hallucinations; hallucinations caused by guilt; unbalanced; mood swings.'

As she continued to read the previous physicians notes, she forgot to pay attention to where she was walking.

Suddenly, there was a body standing in front of her. Caroline jumped, the folder crashing into her chest as she clung to it.

Regaining her composure quickly, she looked up to see Elijah standing in front of her.

"Oh, hey Elijah! Sorry, I wasn't-" she paused the apology she was about to give, finally taking him in as he stood in front of her. She frowned.

"Are you okay? You look…" She searched for a word that didn't sound rude, seeing as they were at work, and technically he was her boss. "You look a little disheveled."

It was true. His normally perfectly gelled hair was a complete mess, like he had been running his fingers through it all day, and his lab coat was open, revealing a rather wrinkly shirt and - her eyes widened - a loosened tie.

Something was wrong.

"I'm fine, Caroline," he said, a warm smile playing on his lips, contradicting everything she was looking at.

Then it clicked. "Oh my god! No you're not fine… I mean, of course you're not… I mean…" Caroline rambled, her thoughts getting a little muddled. She found herself discreetly closing the folder in her hand and holding it loosely at her side. "I know your brother is coming today."

Elijah looked down quickly, his eyes almost immediately finding the folder she had been trying to hide from him.

"Is that his file?"

She inwardly groaned, then nodded and held it out for him.

Elijah took it, looking over it quickly before closing it again. "I see. So, you're assigned to his case? Are you sure that isn't…" He paused, obviously feeling as uncomfortable as she was. "I know it's a big case."

Caroline nodded again, "I can handle it, Elijah. Don't worry. I'll take really good care of him."

She gave him a warm smile, then took the folder back from him. Caroline resumed her walk down the hall, avoiding the nurse serving dinner, before she realized that Elijah was following her.

Looking behind her, she slowed her stride until he was next to her again. "Is there something wrong?"

Elijah didn't look at her when he answered, instead looking ahead of him, towards the bay doors. "I just wanted to make sure he arrived safely, and make sure he made it to his room."

It seemed strange, after all it wasn't their first transferred patient. In fact, most of their patients were transferred from a larger facility. Caroline shrugged it off though, she figured it probably had more to do with the fact that it was his brother being taken in.

Then again, it could be because he killed their father.

She absolutely refused to continue on that train of thought, though. After all, Niklaus was going to be her patient, and that was all that mattered. Making him better was all that mattered.

As she walked on, her thumb rubbing against the folder in her hand absentmindedly, she stared at the ground, her long blond curls cascading over her shoulders, framing her face.

Perhaps Niklaus was just misunderstood. It wasn't like she hadn't met some bad boys along the way who only pretended to be tough. Hell, she had dated one or two. Then again, what kind of monster could kill his own father?

She couldn't even fathom what life would be like without her dad. His warm smile, bubbly cheeks and contagious laugh made her smile just from thinking about him.

Caroline shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts from her mind. This wasn't about her, it was about Niklaus Mikaelson, and his rehabilitation.

She hadn't noticed the loud beeping sound of a passenger truck backing up, nor the doors opening and closing as she reopened the folder and began to study it again.

However, her head shot up immediately when the doors suddenly slid open and the sound of screaming filled the large space.

Her eyes shot up to take in the scene in front of her; two of the hospital's security guards and two police officers were walking in, one ahead, one behind and two in the middle.

The two men in the middle were trying to restrain a man between them. A man she quickly recognized as Niklaus Mikaelson, her new patient. He was screaming at the top of his lungs; a rough and violent sound that sent shivers down her spine.

"YOU WILL NEVER DESTROY ME!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, stopping Caroline in her tracks.

And then, in a split second, he was hovering between them, driving a swift kick with both legs to the officer in front of him, knocking the man to the ground.

The force of the kick sent Niklaus flying backwards into the other police officer as he slid right out of the two guards grip, landing on the floor with a loud thud.

He was up in a flash though, leaving the guards in his wake as he started to run down the hall.

Directly at Caroline and Elijah.

Caroline suddenly hit the wall next to her as she was shoved out of the way. Looking back, she realized quickly that it was in fact Elijah who had pushed her, and he was now charging at his brother full-stride, his white coat billowing behind him.

They crashed into each other; the younger brother trying to knock the older off his feet at the knees, but Elijah was just as quick, dodging him and swiftly landing Niklaus on his back.

Caroline didn't miss a beat as she quickly ran to the medical cart a few yards from her. Grabbing the appropriate syringe, she ran back to the two men who had now switched positions, Niklaus quickly taking dominance in the fight.

It left him wide open to Caroline though as she ran up to him. Just as he lifted his right arm, his hand curled into a tight fist that was obviously meant for Elijah's face, she stabbed him in the neck with the needle.

Niklaus paused instantly at the feeling of the puncture, and soon dropped to the floor beside them after Caroline had injected him completely.

She caught Elijah's grateful expression before he fell back on the floor, obviously exhausted. She then looked back at the unconscious man on the floor.

"Welcome to Mystic Falls."

* * *

**So what do you guys think?**

**Like I said, this story will be a bit darker, and a bit twisted. I wanted a bit more of a challenge in my writing, and this is going to give it to me. I can't stop thinking about it... I have no idea where this idea came from, but I love it. It's basically my baby, and I'm actually really nervous to know what you think.  
**

**P.S. (A bit of a spoiler) Nothing is as it seems.**


End file.
